Man also left menacing phone message and sent photograph of dismembered doll

Fri, Jul 25, 2014, 01:00

The 39-year-old man told gardaí that he was frustrated and could have targeted anyone, but he happened to have this woman’s details. Photograph: Frank Miller

A Dublin man who sent a former colleague a threatening text message and an image of a dismembered doll as part of his “rape fantasy” has been jailed for three years.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told gardaí he was romantically interested in the woman but never managed to ask her out before she moved jobs. He said he had been on an unsuccessful date with another woman when he decided to send his ex-colleague a graphic text message depicting rape, dismemberment and cannibalism.

Det Garda Brendan O’Toole said the man said he had wanted to make his victim “feel scared”. He told gardaí that he was frustrated and could have targeted anyone, but he happened to have this woman’s details.

The 39-year-old pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to harassing the woman between August 2012 and July 2013. He also pleaded guilty to sending her a menacing phone message on June 6th and threatening to kill her on July 7th, 2013.

The woman said in a victim impact statement read in court her “biggest fear” is that the man will not forget about her.